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Coble and double-ender register

Does anyone know if there is a register of surviving cobles and double-ender in existance. From experiance of a recent trip to the North East there are not an inconsiderable number of these craft that have no form of identication, name or port registration number, and as a result they remain unidentified and their history hidden, if not lost.

Would other contributors be willing to supply information and if available links to photos to enable a database to be built up? If a list could be started is there anyway the list could be published on the Trawler Photo website so that it could be update as new information was received?

Thanks for reply - I saw the list that was published on the Coble and Keelboat Society website but as you mentioned it was far from complete and it did not help to trace a particular boats history nor did it cover cobles that have been scrapped or destroyed..

Tried to open that web site earlier today and for some reason it came up as unobtainable. May be a temporary problem and I will try again later.

I have a good mind to start a new register but I would need a lot of help and somewhere to display the register.

Problem is some were built as one offs and you only come across some of the info by chance a few were built round brid & flambro as one offs by the owners. some not even fishing vessels so a long job it will be..

agreed it will be a long and painstaking job but i believe that our fishing heritage deserves it.i would help in anyway possible.after all i have not much else to do and i need something to occupy my time.just say the word.

A start can be made by trawling though the photgraphs posted on this website. If you notice I always add the words coble or double-ender in the cooments box as it is then possible by using the right search criteria to pull up relevent photographs. Also going through the England Under 10m, decommissioned and vintage groups would help to find the photos that you are interested in.

The main problem is finding the right format to display the information and of course the web site space to host the data. Perhaps Trawler Admin can help with some suggestions?

Finally what information need to be collated and how do you cross refer data entries relating to the same boat, ie change of names, registration numbers, current locations etc and who would do all this work.

Lot of work involved not just to start the data base but then to keep it current and relevent. However it would be really good if it were to be introduced. I know, as I mentioned, that there are numerous cobles and double-enders whose identity is either lost or known only by one or two people. A search through this site will identify the number of these vessels that have been posted without a name or registartion number.

I also think an at danger list would be very useful to try an maintain what we have. No more of these craft are being built, some are slipping into derilication slowly and others have gone. Once they have all gone there will be no more - no one will have the knowledge to build these complicated hulls.

Fiinally some cobles and double-ender have been preserved either in working ownership or by dedicate enthusiasts. Some are owned by individuals and others by grouip. I would dearly love to generate enough interest to save a Whitby built example of both types of craft. Does anybody else feel the same way?

Cracking idea if you ask me. It would be fairly easy to compile a list of the surviving registered cobles (and those scrapped in the last ten or twenty years) and other info such as when and where built, who by, owners etc.

What would be hard is creating a list of all the cobles without port registrations. Here you're relying on people remembering them being built, particularly in lesser visited places (i.e. it would be fairly easy to get the history of the non registered ones in Whitby as there's a few people on here who live there or regularly visit). At least with a registration you've got rough information readily available.

I'd be more than willing to help out, I'm in no way a genius on the subject, but it would be good to see a database (with pictures ) built up of at least the surviving registered cobles and double enders, the vessel section on the Hull Trawler site would be a good model to follow.

Excellent if you think its a goer? Will look at the Hull web site tomorrow.

One thought though - easy identifying Whitby cobles and double-enders!!! Afraid its not that easy, I have posted quite a few photograghs asking for identification. Some good responses with positive ID's, a least one where there is much doubt, and this coble sits right by the side of the bridge, and a number that remain unidentified!! Its a big job I feel, are there any other on the site that would like to help?

Hi dave - can set up a spreadsheet but problem is where do we hold the document nd who has access to update it. I was hoping admin or one of the moderators would give a steer but they have been quiet on the subject so far.

It is clear thoughn that with so many of these boats being deregistered their history is fast diaappearing and a living register would help track those remaining and highligt those that need a definative identity. Even those that know their subject sometimes disagree with each other over the identity of a particular boat and there are also many that remain unidentified on this web site despite requests for help with identification.

Can I please ask Trawler Admin for their advice on the best way to set up a reguister on the web site if it is at all possible.